Action movies are entertaining because they show people engaging in activities so dangerous that you and I would be terrified to attempt them, and then emerging without a scratch. Everyone knows that the A-list actors who appear in these films are not agile enough or daring enough to perform these maneuvers in real life. The ones who make the action in action movies so exciting are the stunt doubles. They do not have to be drop-dead gorgeous in extreme close-up or deliver their lines of dialogue convincingly; that is for the stars to do. The stunt performers just have to scale tall buildings, walk tightropes, and drive ground transportation vehicles through the air.
Of course, the only way we get to see the stunt performers perform their impressive stunts is because of the camera operators who film them. Being a cameraman on the set of an action movie involves plenty of daring and danger, too. A cameraman who suffered severe injuries while filming a movie in New Mexico received a multimillion-dollar damages award in a personal injury lawsuit. If you got injured on a movie set, contact a Santa Fe slip-and-fall and premises liability lawyer.
Plaintiff Claims Film Producers’ Negligence Led to Mobile Crane Camera Accident
Only the Brave, a movie about firefighters, was filmed in 2016. James Razo worked on the film as a cameraman, operating a mobile crane camera unit. The unit weighs 3,000 pounds and is normally operated on flat surfaces in film studios. Razo was filming an action sequence at Las Pajaritas ski area, which required him to steer the camera unit up a steep hill. He asked the production company to install a ramp so he could have a stable surface, but they refused because doing so would cause the filming to fall behind schedule. When Razo was moving the crane unit up the hill, it fell over, crushing him and causing a spinal cord injury, leaving him paralyzed.
Razo sued, claiming negligence on the part of the film producers. Most personal injury cases settle, but Razo’s case went to trial. The jury awarded $66 million in damages. $30 million is compensatory damages for Razo and his wife for their financial losses and physical and emotional suffering. The other $36 is punitive damages, which Black Label Media and No Exit Film must pay for their negligence.
Why Not File a Workers’ Compensation Claim Instead?
All workers injured at work have the right to file workers’ compensation claims, which can pay for medical expenses and lost income. If your injuries are severe, it is difficult to get enough money to cover all your accident-related losses. By accepting money from workers’ comp, you give up the right to file a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury lawsuits are more appropriate if the accident was obviously due to the employer’s negligence, as opposed to an ordinary “accidents happen” accident.
Contact Slate Stern About Personal Injury Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured as a result of ski area accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
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Photo by Ivan Shimko on Unsplash